As we settle into May we have an odd situation of looking back on the last year and starting to look forward to next year.
Regarding looking ahead, we see it with the D2 students as they are preparing for university. The D1 students are starting to look at next year’s assessment deadlines and university applications (parents see below regarding that). The M5 students are starting to look to becoming Diploma students and even the P6 will start looking to be MYP students soon.
Looking back will start first with the D2 as they prepare to leave and with the rest of us when the yearbook comes out. Nothing like a photo album to spark reflection.
It is all very natural, but sometimes a bit hard for us parents, but it does mean that we sometimes forget to see what is happening right now. So, I encourage everyone to look back and look ahead but also to see what is happening around you each day. If it helps you can just read below for what has happened this week alone.
Bob Cofer – Head of Campus
Upcoming
A Reminder for D2 Parents
Ben’s Corner
I often explore the idea of through schools in my corner of the newsletter, extolling the benefits of a learning community that ranges from EC to D2 and beyond. At the moment, you could argue that our campus is “top heavy,” with more students in the Diploma Programme than any other section. We are extremely mindful of this as a faculty and, personally, I am always cognisant of not allowing this to negatively impact decisions around allocation of resources, attention or, even, emphasis.
So, this week, as the D2 exams continue apace in Rafiki Hall, I wanted to recognise two events that have been highlights of my week, namely M5’s dramatic reading of Waiting for Godot and P2/3 showcasing their research into endangered animals.
Drama in the MYP offers students the opportunity to explore various aspects of theatrical arts, including acting, directing, scriptwriting and stagecraft. All of these elements were evident during Thursday’s well-attended dramatic reading. Kudos to all involved for an entertaining and creative take on the classic play. The collaborative experience promoted artistic expression, interdisciplinary connections and, hopefully, personal growth.
Friday’s endangered animal exhibition by P2/3 was another wonderful celebration of the diverse and holistic learning taking place on a daily basis across the PYP. The students shared their research confidently, incorporating dioramas, information books and fact sheets. Again, it was wonderful to see so many members of the wider community turn up to support the event and, of course, the learners.
Clearly, we are succeeding in our collective efforts not to let our “top heavy” school limit opportunities for younger students to explore diverse interests and comprehensive learning experiences. Long may we continue.
Ben Morley – Deputy Head of Campus
Diploma News
It has been an odd week. The D2 students only had exams for two days as religious holidays around the world meant no exams were scheduled on three days. Even though Wednesday was a holiday here we had exams. As one of these was Mathematics everyone has now taken at least one subject. The attitude and behaviour of D2 students has continued to be very good.
For D1 students it is life as normal with a mix of classes and summative assessments. The History students have submitted their internal assessment and the Economics students are working on their first commentary. The deadline schedule for all Internal Assessments is being worked on now and will be shared soon. Students know their Extended Essay subjects and supervisors so they can have the initial meeting and brainstorming ideas.
Important Dates
Friday 17th May – D2s last IB Exam
Saturday 18th May – D2 Graduation
27th May to 31st May – D1 End of Year exams
5th to 7th June – D1 Collaborative Science Project (compulsory for all students – IB Group 4 requirement)
10th to 11th June – D1 TOK Exhibition (compulsory for all students – IB submitted assessment task)
Friday 14th June – End of Semester
Margaret Brunt – Diploma Coordinator
Residential Life
Dear UWCEA Community,
We are almost halfway through Quarter 4 and it is exam central on all fronts.
For the past two weeks, our D2s have been in full exam mode and will continue with exams until May 17th.
Please remember the following important dates as we close the year for D2s:
May 10 – last day for bank
May 17 – packing day
May 18 – graduation
May 19 – all D2 students have to be off campus by 17:00
Our D1 students are also entering the final weeks of classes and will be preparing for their final exams at the end of the month.
M5 students held a brilliant performance of Waiting for Godot last night! Well done! They are also preparing for their e-assessments and transition to D1.
Our M1 to M3 students are in their MAP Test mode.
As you can see, it’s been a busy two weeks with exams, but all the celebrations are just around the corner and we will have quite a lot to celebrate!
Best, Adnan Mackovic – Head of Residential Life
MYP News
As the weeks draw to a close, we get closer to significant milestones in our students’ learning journeys. Friday was the last official full day of classes as MYP students for our M5 students, and truthfully, we didn’t realize it until the day’s end! First and foremost, I would like to extend my best wishes to all our M5 students as they approach their eAssessments (for students sitting for them) and end-of-year summative assessments, slowly turning the final pages of their last chapter in MYP. It’s incredible how time flies. It feels like just a few days ago we were immersed in personal project reports and preparing for the exhibition. Yet, in this moment, those times seem very distant. This realization accentuates the value of time and how precious it is, defined not by its duration but by what we make of it. In MYP, we endeavor to make the best of the time we have together. We strive to create not just learning experiences, but the best memories, the best friendships, and the best opportunities for growth, and we have all the students’ stories to showcase this reality.
M5 eAssessments Start Next Week: The schedule for M5 eAssessments is as follows:
All information about exams, conduct during examination and notice to candidates can be found here.
Students are encouraged to read the information mindfully to understand the information clearly. I will go over this with them as well.
M5 Ceremony RSVP Please click on this link to RSVP to the M5 Ceremony on May 24th, 2024.
M5 Drama – Waiting for Godot The Theatre class in M5 truly made Waiting for Godot worth the wait! The play portrays this idea of “waiting” as uneasy, hopeless and never ending, but our 22 students left us waiting for the next scene and the next appearance on stage with anticipation and excitement. Five characters played by the 22 students in our very first staged reading was nothing short of wonderful and filled with surprises. They exhibited a firm grasp of the theatrical elements they covered, delivering a captivating show. The six weeks of preparation truly paid off, leaving us with memories that will always bring a smile to our faces. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Mr. David for guiding them on this incredible learning journey. Hats off to him and his talented students.
M5 Design The M5 students’ Design project this quarter was “Build it like a pro! Designing for products for the community” Students identified problem areas in the community where they could design a solution for a particular target audience.
One of the students designed and constructed volleyball posts for indoor volleyball. Thank you, Mr. Baden, and M5!
M4 Design In a similar setting, the M4 students have just completed their “Designing for sustainability” project. The student teams each identified a piece of furniture within the community that needed restoration.
Using the design cycle students devised a plan to give an old piece of furniture heading for the dump a new life. Students restored picnic benches, pool tables, waiting bench and more. Thank you, Mr. Baden, and M4!
MYP Dates to Remember:
May 6th to 17th – MYP e-Assessments
May 20th to 23rd – M5 Workshops
May 24th – M5 Ceremony
June 10th to 13th – M1-M4 Week of Giving Back
June 14th – Last day of Classes
Farah Fawaz – MYP Coordinator
Outdoor Pursuits
This past weekend level one reefs trip travelled for 9 hours to Fish Eagle Point. The trip had a rough start and we left behind schedule so we didn’t get to the campsite until 7:00 pm but we still had an amazing time doing everything from snorkelling to hotdogging (riding an inflatable hotdog pulled by a boat!).
When there is too much of something it becomes a problem and sea urchins at Fish Eagle Point are overpopulated so we identified this as one of the things we could do to help and give back to the beautiful environment we stayed at. So we set out to kill sea urchins and get rid of as much trash as possible.
I think the most fun activity was hotdogging, we did this at the main lodge. It was really fun to fall off when the driver of the boat was going very fast. I wish we had a second ride on the hotdog.
I had an amazing time in the ocean. At the start, it was hard because at every wave I would have already drank a full litre of water! Once I got the hang of it I saw all sorts of coral and fish.
We went kayaking and that was fun, but some of us kept getting stuck in the mangroves and that wasn’t so fun. All in all it was a very fun experience. I would recommend this trip for anyone who’s coming on the next one.
We had an amazing trip. We recommend this trip to anybody that enjoys some fun time at the beach with friends!
Gus, Caleb, Leon, Jane, Alayna, Greener and Mariam M1
Sports Update
Netball and Touch rugby teams are continuing to practice. A late addition /change has been made to the U16 and U19 netball and touch rugby schedule, they will be traveling to St. Judes May 4th. Let’s wish them luck in their games.
Primary netball and touch rugby are finalizing their teams. Parent permission letters have been sent out on Life, please make sure those are in so that the teams and arrangements can be made.
Coach Pickell
Rugby
Last weekend UWCEA Leopards played against Moshi club team Kilimanjaro in a grueling 10’s contact rugby match. These two development rugby teams played extremely well, great ball carries, tackles, rucks and set pieces. Both teams have improved a great deal since last year’s match. Special thanks to Joel R who refereed the game, which allowed me to join the Leopards for a run. This game would not have been possible without Joel R’s service to Tanzanian rugby, he has dedicated his time to training and coaching the Kilimanjaro team. The game was well fought, in the end the game went to Kilimanjaro 35 – 5. Images from Ren.
PYP News
Congratulations to the P2/3 children on their informative expo about endangered animals on Friday morning. They were proud and confident presenters and it was lovely to see them present their learning. P2/3 also planted trees on Friday – thank you to Jennifer Biringer for facilitating this (see Ms. Kacey’s newsletter for further details).
A reminder that the children are not allowed to remain on campus unsupervised (they need their own adult to look after them) after 2pm unless they are attending a club. If your child is attending a club, he or she should leave campus at 3pm when the club finishes unless there is a designated adult (parent or dada) to supervise them. Our EAs have classroom responsibilities after 3pm and the teachers are often in meetings or preparing lessons for the following day so there are no adults in the playground supervising the children. The rules are different once the children are in MYP but the PYP expectation is that the children will have an adult with them after clubs have finished. If you have any questions, please ask.
Deborah Mills – PYP Coordinator
Swahili in Action
Our P4/5 Kiswahili Emergent class has been focusing on the exciting unit of shopping and commerce. On Friday, we visited Mama Rose’s fruit and vegetable stall, where students practiced their Kiswahili skills. It was truly heartwarming to witness their polite greetings, confident inquiries about prices, and clear expressions of what they wanted to purchase.
As we conclude this unit, we are looking forward to starting our new unit on house and homes next week.
Katika darasa la Kiswahili Emergent P4/5, limekuwa likijikita na kuzingatia mada ya Ununuzi na Biashara. Siku ya Ijumaa, wanafunzi walitembelea genge la matunda na mbogamboga la Mama Rose ambapo wanafunzi walipata fursa ya kufanya mazoezi ya ustadi wao wa lugha adhimu ya Kiswahili. Ni jambo la kufurahisha sana kushuhudia wanafunzi hawa wakisalimia kwa adabu, wakiuliza bei kwa kujiamini na kueleza wanachotaka kununua.
Tunapomaliza kusoma mada hii, tunategemea kuanza mada mpya ya “Nyumba na Makazi” wiki ijago.
Silvia Junde
EC/P1 Class
Our week in pictures.
Mboka Mwasongwe
P2/3 Class
Friday, May 3rd may go down as the “Favorite day of the school year” for P2/3. Our class was so very pleased to share our research at the Endangered Animal Expo! Parents and students were wonderful observers and made each student feel like an expert. It was special to me to hear so many of my former students talk about the animals they had researched years before. After break, we were able to plant our endangered trees on campus. We’re so grateful for the donation from Jennifer (Mama Hattie) who connected us to Kijani Pamoja and their terrific efforts. If you have any interest in acquiring more trees or donating to the organization, please let me know.
Officially, we are starting our new unit in the week ahead- Economics. It’s a terrific unit even though it sounds like it’s not a topic for our age. I’ll report more about it next week. However first, we will need a bit more time to wrap up with our Endangered Animal unit so that we can focus on what is being done to help with conservation.
Kacey Buckley
P4/5 Class
The highlight of our week was undoubtedly our visit to the Sikh temple. Mr. Dhani explained a little of Tanzanian history to the children and the migration of Sikhs into Tanzania when it was under British rule. The class learned about the materials used to build the temple and how the building has changed over time. We were made to feel very welcome and were given a lovely snack of fried potatoes and juice which the children really enjoyed. Many thanks to Mr. Dhani and the other members of the Gurdwara committee for hosting us on this visit and to Mrs. Dhani for organising the visit. Planning for trips to St. Margaret’s Church and the central mosque is underway and I will share the dates with you when the details are finalised.
Ms. Silvia’s emergent Swahili group went on a trip to Rosie’s fruit and vegetable stall on Friday to practice their shopping vocabulary in a real life setting (see Swahili article above).
In the classroom, the children have been researching skyscrapers and making posters. Next week we will make paper silhouettes to scale showing how tall our various skyscrapers are.
On Tuesday, 7th May, we will go to Arusha to see the P6 Exhibition. This will be informative for everyone but particularly useful for our P5 children who will be presenting their own Exhibition next year. We hope to return to campus by 2pm so that the children will be able to attend their clubs as normal.
Deborah Mills
P6 Class
This week, P6 have been busy inquiring into the structure and interconnectedness between the three Abrahamic religions as part of their new unit of inquiry in “How We Organize Ourselves”. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be going on field trips to visit the different places of worship to see firsthand how they are organized. Our photo shows some of the Venn diagrams that P6 created, which helped illustrate the similarities and differences among the three religions. The overlapping circles made it easy to visually compare them. P6 wrote up their findings using this information and presented them to the class.
Speaking of field trips, next Tuesday 7th May, we’ll be heading over to Arusha UWCEA to see their PYP Exhibition. We will be leaving school at 7:40am and plan to return by 2:00pm. A note with the details of what your child needs to bring has been sent home. Just a reminder that swimming lessons are still on Wednesdays, and our library borrowing day is Thursday. Please encourage your child to remember to bring their swimming kit and return any overdue library books on these days.
Natasha Berri
From the Counselors
D1 University Planning
Work with the D1s on their university search process has continued over the past weeks with many individual meetings as well as some work with the whole grade. Parents may enjoy exploring this presentation that we shared with the D1 class earlier this month about how to start exploring different universities, the wide range of academic set-ups that they might find, and some initial information about financial aid and college costs.
In the coming weeks, we’ll start to introduce information about writing college application essays, preparing activity lists/resumes, and requesting teacher recommendation letters.
D1 Parent/Guardian Presentation Post-Secondary Planning Part II
We are ready for the second part of our presentation about ways parents and guardians can help prepare their child for global destinations. In this session, we will focus on some of the major application systems around the world that our students apply to, and key elements to be aware of in order to assist them through their process. This event will take place virtually on 22 May at 7:30 PM EAT, and the details to access the meeting will be sent to D1 Parents/Guardians. The information is also available on the UWCEA Careers website, where you will also find…
Upcoming College and University Events
15 May: 4:45-6:00 PM EAT 15 on the 15th returns with a “Hot Admissions Topic” and a virtual fair with 13 Davis UWC Scholar Partners & 2 UWC “friends”
22 May: 7:30-8:30 PM EAT D1 Guardian/Parent Presentation: Post-Secondary Planning Part II: A World of Possibilities (Understanding international admissions)
**Many more events (and resources) are on the UWCEA Careers website, as well as individual institution websites/social media**
